CClinicalTrials.gg
Status unknownNCT03036085Updated Jan 30, 2017

Liposomal Bupivacaine for Pain Control Following Thoracic Surgery.

A Phase 2/3 interventional study of Liposomal bupivacaine and Bupivacaine in Pain, Postoperative, Thoracic Diseases and Local Anesthetics Causing Adverse Effects in Therapeutic Use, sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital. Status unknown. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-01-30.

Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital · Phase 2/3, Interventional, and Treatment

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Jan 2017), so the status shown — last known as Not yet recruiting — may be out of date.
Phase
Phase 2/3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
200
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

The aims of the study are to compare the effectiveness and postoperative outcomes of liposomal bupivacaine vs plain bupivacaine following video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The investigators' hypothesis is that liposomal bupivacaine will decrease the postoperative pain and will be associated with more favorable postoperative outcomes when compared to plain bupivacaine following video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Read the detailed description

Pain management remains a primary concern for many patients following thoracic surgery. Suboptimal analgesia leads to numerous postoperative complications like reduced cardiac, respiratory and gastrointestinal functions, more septic and thromboembolic complications, increased incidence of developing chronic pain states, increased mortality in high-risk patients with multiple comorbidities, and many others.

Opioids have a distinct role in the postoperative analgesia. Although opioids have positively affected surgery for decades, they are associated with a number of potentially severe side effects including prolonged ileus, nausea, vomiting, central nervous system and respiratory depression, development of hyperalgesia, and the risk of dependency and abuse. These adverse effects increase the overall cost of treatment for these patients and can potentially result in longer hospital stays.

Local infiltration and regional blocks of local anesthetics are increasingly utilized during thoracic surgery procedures as an alternative to epidural analgesia. Bupivacaine is widely used for intercostal nerve blocks but its utility is limited by its short duration of action (\<6 hours). Perineural catheters for continuous infusion of bupivacaine have been used to overcome this limitation but the need of expensive pumps and the risk of significant complications associated with the use of catheters (i.e. infection, septicemia, intravascular migration etc) has limited its use.

Encapsulation of local anesthetics into liposomes is a novel method which extends drug delivery. The use of multivesicular liposomes has been shown to provide a slow and steady release of local anesthetics for several days after nonvascular administration. Liposomal bupivacaine is a novel formulary of bupivacaine, is designed for a single-dose local infiltration into the surgical site and produces postsurgical analgesia for up to 72-96 hours.

Liposomal bupivacaine is not currently licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for peripheral nerve block but has been approved for single-dose infiltration into the surgical site. However, it has been shown in two retrospective studies of patients with open thoracotomies for lung, pleural or mediastinal pathologies that liposomal bupivacaine intercostal nerve blockade is associated with increased pain control and decreased length of hospital stay compared to thoracic epidural analgesia.

This is a single-blind randomized prospective research study comparing pain control and postoperative outcomes following intercostal neural blockade with liposomal bupivacaine versus plain bupivacaine plus epinephrine during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical procedures. Eligible patients would be all patients aged older than 18 years who undergo a video-assisted thoracoscopic lung resection at Massachusetts General Hospital. Pregnant women, prisoners, emergent cases, patients under 18 years, and patients with chronic pain, documented alcohol or drug abuse and allergies to bupivacaine will be excluded from this study.

Primary end point will be self-reported pain score on a visual analog scale from 0 to 10 at postoperative day #1. By utilizing a mean difference in self-reported pain scores of 1 point with a standard deviation of 2.5 points, a sample size of 100 patients per group would be needed for a power (beta) of 0.8 and probability level (alpha) of 0.05. All patients would be enrolled at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The video-assisted thoracoscopic surgeries and intercostal nerve blockade with plain bupivacaine plus epinephrine or liposomal bupivacaine will be performed by all thoracic surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital. In the operating room after induction of general anesthesia patients will be positioned in a lateral decubitus position, prepared and draped in a sterile fashion. Under thoracoscopic guidance, a posterior intercostal nerve block will be performed with liposomal bupivacaine (13.3 mg/ml) or 0.5% bupivacaine with 1% epinephrine. In the liposomal bupivacaine group, a total dose of 266 mg of liposomal bupivacaine (one 20 ml vial of 13.3 mg/ml) per patient will be diluted to a total volume of 40 ml using 20 ml normal saline. In the bupivacaine group 20 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine with 1% epinephrine will be diluted to a total volume of 40 ml using 20 ml normal saline. From those 40 ml, 30 ml will be used for the posterior intercostal nerve block and 10 ml will be injected locally into the surgical wounds.

If immediate postoperative pain scores were rated 4/10 or greater, an intravenous patient controlled analgesia device will be provided with hydromorphone 0.2 mg every 10 minutes or nonopioid analgesics as needed. No narcotics will be given in the spinal space. Oral metoclopramide or ondansetron will be given as needed to combat the side effects of the narcotics.

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Conditions studied

  • Pain, Postoperative
  • Thoracic Diseases
  • Local Anesthetics Causing Adverse Effects in Therapeutic Use
  • Opioid Dependence

Keywords

  • postoperative pain
  • video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)
  • opioids
  • bupivacaine
  • liposomal bupivacaine
  • analgesia
  • local anesthetics
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In context

Thoracic Diseases

68 studies on the registry are indexed under Thoracic Diseases; 14 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 200 is above the median of 70 across 50 interventional studies indexed under Thoracic Diseases.

Browse Thoracic Diseases studies →

Lead sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital is the lead sponsor of 2,536 studies on the registry; 446 are open to participants now.

Of its 214 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 161 (75%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Eligible patients would be all patients aged older than 18 years who undergo a video-assisted thoracoscopic lung resection at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant women, prisoners, emergent cases, patients under 18 years, and patients with chronic pain, documented alcohol or drug abuse and allergies to bupivacaine will be excluded from this study.
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Study design

Phase
Phase 2 / Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
200 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Bupivacaine

    Under thoracoscopic guidance, a posterior intercostal nerve block will be performed with 0.5% bupivacaine with 1% epinephrine. In the bupivacaine group 20 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine with 1% epinephrine will be diluted to a total volume of 40 ml using 20 ml normal saline. From those 40 ml, 30 ml will be used for the posterior intercostal nerve block and 10 ml will be injected locally into the surgical wounds.

    Drug: Bupivacaine · Drug: Epinephrine · Drug: Normal saline

  • Experimental
    Liposomal bupivacaine

    Under thoracoscopic guidance, a posterior intercostal nerve block will be performed with liposomal bupivacaine (13.3 mg/ml). In the liposomal bupivacaine group, a total dose of 266 mg of liposomal bupivacaine (one 20 ml vial of 13.3 mg/ml) per patient will be diluted to a total volume of 40 ml using 20 ml normal saline.

    Drug: Liposomal bupivacaine · Drug: Normal saline

Interventions

  • DrugLiposomal bupivacaine

    In the operating room after induction of general anesthesia patients will be positioned in a lateral decubitus position, prepared and draped in a sterile fashion. Under thoracoscopic guidance, a posterior intercostal nerve block will be performed with liposomal bupivacaine plus normal saline.

    Also known as: Exparel

  • DrugBupivacaine

    In the operating room after induction of general anesthesia patients will be positioned in a lateral decubitus position, prepared and draped in a sterile fashion. Under thoracoscopic guidance, a posterior intercostal nerve block will be performed with bupivacaine plus epinephrine plus normal saline.

    Also known as: Marcaine, Marcain, Sensorcaine, Vivacaine

  • DrugEpinephrine

    In the operating room after induction of general anesthesia patients will be positioned in a lateral decubitus position, prepared and draped in a sterile fashion. Under thoracoscopic guidance, a posterior intercostal nerve block will be performed with bupivacaine plus epinephrine plus normal saline.

    Also known as: Adrenaline, Adrenalin

  • DrugNormal saline

    In the operating room after induction of general anesthesia patients will be positioned in a lateral decubitus position, prepared and draped in a sterile fashion. Under thoracoscopic guidance, a posterior intercostal nerve block will be performed with liposomal bupivacaine plus normal saline or with bupivacaine plus epinephrine plus normal saline.

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Patient self-reported pain visual analog scale score - Day 1

    Time frame: Postoperative Day #1

Secondary outcomes

  1. Patient self-reported pain visual analog scale score - Day 3

    Time frame: Postoperative Day #3

  2. Patient self-reported pain visual analog scale score - Discharge

    Time frame: At the day of discharge from the hospital. Discharge day could be on average postoperative day #4 or #5.

  3. Time until first opioid usage

    Time frame: After the surgery and until the participant receives the first opioid medication, assessed up to 10 days after surgery.

  4. Total opioid usage (in morphine equivalents)

    Time frame: After the surgery and until the participant is discharged from the hospital. Discharge day could be on average postoperative day #4 or #5.

  5. Anti-emetic usage

    Time frame: After the surgery and until the participant is discharged from the hospital. Discharge day could be on average postoperative day #4 or #5.

  6. Naloxone usage

    Time frame: After the surgery and until the participant is discharged from the hospital. Discharge day could be on average postoperative day #4 or #5.

  7. Length of hospital stay

    Time frame: After the surgery and until the participant is discharged from the hospital. Discharge day could be on average postoperative day #4 or #5.

  8. Postoperative complications (e.g. pneumonia, pulmonary complications, wound infections etc)

    Time frame: The first 30 days after surgery

  9. Time to ambulation

    Time frame: After the surgery and until the participant starts ambulating during hospitalization, assessed up to 10 days after surgery.

  10. Time to first bowel movement

    Time frame: After the surgery and until the participant has the first bowel movement during hospitalization, assessed up to 10 days after surgery.

  11. Time to chest tube removal

    Time frame: After the surgery and until the participant has his/her chest tube removed during hospitalization, assessed up to 10 days after surgery.

  12. Peak expiratory flow measurements

    Measures air flowing in and out of the lungs.

    Time frame: Measured twice daily following surgery until the participant is discharged from the hospital. Discharge day could be on average postoperative day #4 or #5.

  13. Peak expiratory flow measurements

    Measures air flowing in and out of the lungs.

    Time frame: Measured twice daily the day at the first postoperative visit (usually within 10-30 days postoperatively)

07

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

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References and documents

Publications

  • Chen AH. Toxicity and allergy to local anesthesia. J Calif Dent Assoc. 1998 Sep;26(9):683-92. PubMed 9879238 ↗
  • Apfelbaum JL, Chen C, Mehta SS, Gan TJ. Postoperative pain experience: results from a national survey suggest postoperative pain continues to be undermanaged. Anesth Analg. 2003 Aug;97(2):534-540. doi: 10.1213/01.ANE.0000068822.10113.9E. PubMed 12873949 ↗
  • Luketich JD, Land SR, Sullivan EA, Alvelo-Rivera M, Ward J, Buenaventura PO, Landreneau RJ, Hart LA, Fernando HC. Thoracic epidural versus intercostal nerve catheter plus patient-controlled analgesia: a randomized study. Ann Thorac Surg. 2005 Jun;79(6):1845-9; discussion 1849-50. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2004.10.055. PubMed 15919269 ↗
  • Oderda GM, Said Q, Evans RS, Stoddard GJ, Lloyd J, Jackson K, Rublee D, Samore MH. Opioid-related adverse drug events in surgical hospitalizations: impact on costs and length of stay. Ann Pharmacother. 2007 Mar;41(3):400-6. doi: 10.1345/aph.1H386. Epub 2007 Mar 6. PubMed 17341537 ↗
  • Richard BM, Rickert DE, Newton PE, Ott LR, Haan D, Brubaker AN, Cole PI, Ross PE, Rebelatto MC, Nelson KG. Safety Evaluation of EXPAREL (DepoFoam Bupivacaine) Administered by Repeated Subcutaneous Injection in Rabbits and Dogs: Species Comparison. J Drug Deliv. 2011;2011:467429. doi: 10.1155/2011/467429. Epub 2011 Oct 5. PubMed 22013534 ↗
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Acute Pain Management. Practice guidelines for acute pain management in the perioperative setting: an updated report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Acute Pain Management. Anesthesiology. 2012 Feb;116(2):248-73. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e31823c1030. No abstract available. PubMed 22227789 ↗
  • Chahar P, Cummings KC 3rd. Liposomal bupivacaine: a review of a new bupivacaine formulation. J Pain Res. 2012;5:257-64. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S27894. Epub 2012 Aug 14. PubMed 23049275 ↗
  • Golembiewski J, Dasta J. Evolving Role of Local Anesthetics in Managing Postsurgical Analgesia. Clin Ther. 2015 Jun 1;37(6):1354-71. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2015.03.017. Epub 2015 Apr 10. PubMed 25866297 ↗
  • Kelly MA. Current Postoperative Pain Management Protocols Contribute to the Opioid Epidemic in the United States. Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ). 2015 Oct;44(10 Suppl):S5-8. PubMed 26447431 ↗
  • Khalil KG, Boutrous ML, Irani AD, Miller CC 3rd, Pawelek TR, Estrera AL, Safi HJ. Operative Intercostal Nerve Blocks With Long-Acting Bupivacaine Liposome for Pain Control After Thoracotomy. Ann Thorac Surg. 2015 Dec;100(6):2013-8. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.08.017. Epub 2015 Oct 24. PubMed 26507422 ↗
  • Rice DC, Cata JP, Mena GE, Rodriguez-Restrepo A, Correa AM, Mehran RJ. Posterior Intercostal Nerve Block With Liposomal Bupivacaine: An Alternative to Thoracic Epidural Analgesia. Ann Thorac Surg. 2015 Jun;99(6):1953-60. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.02.074. Epub 2015 Apr 23. PubMed 25912739 ↗
  • Uskova A, O'Connor JE. Liposomal bupivacaine for regional anesthesia. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2015 Oct;28(5):593-7. doi: 10.1097/ACO.0000000000000240. PubMed 26308513 ↗
  • Biswas S, Verma R, Bhatia VK, Chaudhary AK, Chandra G, Prakash R. Comparison between Thoracic Epidural Block and Thoracic Paravertebral Block for Post Thoracotomy Pain Relief. J Clin Diagn Res. 2016 Sep;10(9):UC08-UC12. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2016/19159.8489. Epub 2016 Sep 1. PubMed 27790554 ↗
  • Redan JA, Wells T, Reeder S, McCarus SD. Reducing Opioid Adverse Events: A Safe Way to Improve Outcomes. Surg Technol Int. 2016 Apr;28:101-9. PubMed 27042786 ↗
  • Clinicians' quick reference guide to postoperative pain management in adults. Pain Management Guideline Panel. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, US Department of Health and Human Services. J Pain Symptom Manage. 1992 May;7(4):214-28. PubMed 1517644 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 30, 2017, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03036085
Lead sponsor
Massachusetts General Hospital
Responsible party
Harald Ott (Associate Professor of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jan 30, 2017
Start date
Feb 2017 (estimated)
Primary completion
Dec 2017 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2017 (estimated)
Last update
Jan 30, 2017

Study contacts

Konstantinos P. Economopoulos, MD, PhD
Contact
keconomopoulos@mgh.harvard.edu
617-510-4641
Harald Ott, MD
Contact
hott@mgh.harvard.edu
617-726-2311
Harald Ott, MD
principal investigator · Division of Thoracic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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